Manifesto

What are your goals in life? How far are you willing to go to pursue your aspirations? What affirmative steps can be taken in order to make your dreams a reality?

As a student about to graduate from Harvard Law School, I have had to answer many difficult questions. In my first year I was subjected to the “Socratic Method,” whereby professors would interrogate students on the facts of legal cases and the convoluted analyses we were supposed to infer from these cases. After my first year I interviewed with thirty law firms as I competed with law students across the country for prestigious summer associate positions. During these interviews, I had to answer obvious questions (“Why do you want to be a corporate lawyer?”) and unexpected questions (“What is your favorite NBA team?”)

Ultimately I accepted an offer to work for a law firm in New York. I spent my last summer there as an associate, where I was paid by the hour to answer more questions, both intriguing and mundane.

In my final year at Harvard, I found myself with a great deal of free time. Without the stress of law firm interviews or the Socratic method to occupy my mind, I started asking myself questions that had never been asked of me at law school. Did I actually want to be a lawyer? What would I rather be doing if I decided not to practice law? And finally: How could I use my law degree to help accomplish my goals and ambitions?

These are hard questions to ask. Not because they involve complicated legal analyses, but because fulfilling our aspirations typically requires enormous sacrifice and compromise. For risk-averse individuals, it can be easier to ignore our passions and focus on more immediate concerns, such as paying off student loans. Even when we build up the courage to contemplate a better future for ourselves, fatigue and self-doubt often convince us to follow conventional paths. We can forget that we had dreams at all.

I want to mention that I am blessed with hardworking and supportive parents who paid for my education with their own money. As such I am not motivated by the same factors that guide students with significant student debt. I have more flexibility in deciding the career I want to pursue, and I am immensely grateful for that. I also want to note that for many people, working a stable job with a high income is indeed their dream. But I still believe that we should ask hard questions of ourselves in our search for lasting happiness.

My aspiration is to be a musician. I love expressing myself through music and lyrics, and I look to my pencil whenever I encounter difficult moments in my life. Since my youth I have always gravitated towards the hip-hop genre. I love hip-hop because rapping enables me to utilize my talents in poetry while turning the tables on negative Asian-American stereotypes. In particular, since Asian-American men are often emasculated or marginalized in popular culture, I find that hip-hop can be an ideal vehicle to rebut these negative portrayals and replace them with my own views on Asian-American identity.

I began performing hip-hop songs in high school after I successfully auditioned for a school talent show. Soon I was rapping regularly in school concerts and charity events. However, I stopped performing after I entered college. I was convinced that it was time to “grow up,” get a job, and leave my old pastimes behind.

It took six years before I started writing rhymes again. Once I started, I found that I could not stop. After I wrote twelve songs, I decided to record my songs in a professional studio. I had never been to a recording studio before. Yet each time I recorded a song, I felt happier and freer than I had in years. I shared my music online and created my own website. By this time I was convinced that my project had the potential to appeal to a wide audience. I started hiring directors and actors for a music video.

Although I had never shot a music video before, I had faith in my message and in my music. I believed in my heart that making these videos would move me closer to my aspiration of becoming a musician. This was how I realized I could use my Harvard Law education to attain my goals. By writing honestly and openly about my journey through law school and how my experiences have changed my perceptions on the world, I felt like I had a compelling story that people from all backgrounds could potentially relate to.

When I was first admitted to HLS, I imagined that I would graduate with a steady job and a prestigious degree while earning the respect and admiration of everyone I encountered. At the time, that was all I wanted. But now I believe that it is more important than ever to keep our passions alive while attending college or graduate school. It is my view that we cannot lose sight of our underlying goals in life lest we succumb to the ennui of a meaningless existence.

We all have aspirations. No matter how unrealistic or unconventional our ambitions may be, I believe they are all worth pursuing. Even if we fail, the mistakes we make along the way will make us stronger and happier individuals. I hope you feel the same way too.

Dare to dream. Ask hard questions. You will find that there are like-minded people out there in the world who will share your passions and support your struggle to find happiness. It is never easy to sacrifice for our goals, but I truly believe that we can succeed. Together, we can make all of our dreams a reality.